Lead-in bumper for a loading dock

ABSTRACT

A bumper system for a loading dock includes an engagement member and a guide member mounted to the face of the dock. The guide member helps guide a vehicle toward the engagement member, which receives the primary impact of the vehicle backing into the dock. If the vehicle is excessively off to one side, the guide member of some embodiments may affect the operation of a dock leveler, vehicle restraint, dock seals, or a door associated with the loading dock. In some embodiments when the vehicle is off to one side the guide member may inhibit the vehicle from reaching the engagement member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The subject invention generally pertains to dock bumpers and morespecifically to one that helps ensure that a vehicle is properlypositioned at the dock.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] A typical loading dock of a building includes an exterior doorwaywith an elevated platform for loading and unloading vehicles, such astrucks and trailers. Currently, there are numerous products availablefor improving a loading dock's operating conditions, function, safety,and/or usefulness. For example, dock shelters or compressible dock sealsinstalled along the perimeter of the doorway are adapted to seal againstthe rear portion of the truck to help seal out weather, as the truck isbeing loaded or unloaded of its cargo.

[0005] To compensate for height differences between the loading dockplatform and an adjacent bed of a truck or trailer, many loading docksinclude a dock leveler. A typical dock leveler includes a deck, alsoknown as a ramp or dockboard, which is pivotally hinged along its backedge to vary the height of its front edge. An extension plate, or lip,extends outward from the deck's front edge to span the gap between therear of the truck bed and the front edge of the deck. Depending on theparticular dock leveler, some lips move linearly and others pivotbetween a stored position and an extended, operative position. In movingto the stored position, the lip usually retracts to where it does notinterfere with a vehicle backing into the dock. In the extended,operative position, the lip extends from the deck's front edge and restsupon the truck bed to form a bridge between the two. This allowspersonnel and material handling equipment to readily move on and off thevehicle during loading and unloading operations.

[0006] When loading or unloading a truck at a loading dock, it isgenerally a safe practice to help restrain the truck from accidentallymoving too far away from the dock. This is often accomplished by ahook-style vehicle restraint that engages what is referred to in theindustry as an ICC bar or a Rear Impact Guard (RIG). An ICC bar or RIGis a bar or beam that extends horizontally across the rear of a truck,below the truck bed. Its primary purpose is to help prevent anautomobile from under-riding the truck in a rear-end collision. However,an ICC bar also provides a convenient structure for a hook-stylerestraint to reach up in front of the bar to obstruct the truck'smovement away from the dock. To release the truck, many restraints lowerto a stored position below the bar, which then allows the next truck toback into the dock. Other hook-style restraints store in a normallyraised position and include an inclined lead-in that an ICC bar uses tohelp push the restraint underneath the bar as the truck backs into thedock. Once underneath the bar, usually a barrier rises in front of thebar to restrain the truck.

[0007] To protect the building and the dock leveler from direct vehicleimpact and to protect dock seals from being completely crushed by atruck backing into the dock, loading docks often include bumpers.Bumpers also help establish a certain amount of clearance between therear of the truck and the dock leveler, so the dock leveler can firstraise and then lower its lip upon the rear edge of the truck with a safeamount of overlap, or lip purchase, between the lip and the truck bed.Establishing a predetermined distance between the rear of the truck andthe dock face also helps ensure that a vehicle restraint is able reachout and engage the front edge of the truck's ICC bar. Bumpers areusually installed near the bottom of the doorway, adjacent either sideof the dock leveler lip and protrude a few inches out from the face ofthe dock where they can be abutted by the rear of the vehicle.

[0008] Unfortunately, conventional dock bumpers do not always ensurethat the rear of the vehicle is properly positioned relative to theloading dock's doorway, dock leveler, vehicle restraint, dock seal, ordock shelter. For instance, the rear of the truck may stop excessivelyshort of reaching the bumper, or the truck may be offset to either sideof the doorway. If the truck stops far short of the bumper, severalproblems may occur. The vehicle restraint may be unable to reach out farenough to hook the front of the ICC bar, the dock seal or dock sheltermay fail to fully engage the rear of the truck, there may beinsufficient lip purchase between the rear of the truck bed and anextended dock leveler lip, or the dock leveler lip may miss the rearedge of the truck bed entirely. If the truck is off centered relative tothe doorway, the dock seal or dock shelter may leave one side of thetruck relatively unsheltered, the truck might crush one side of a dockshelter, or the dock leveler lip may be unable fit inside the truck.

[0009] Consequently, in addition to bumpers, sometimes bollards or wheelguides are anchored to the driveway of a loading dock to create anobstruction that establishes lateral limits within which a truck maytravel. Low profile wheel guides may be difficult to see if they getcovered with snow, and almost any protrusion extending upward from thedriveway may interfere with snow removal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In some embodiments, a bumper includes a guide member adjacent anengagement member, wherein the guide member helps guide a vehicle towardthe engagement member.

[0011] In some embodiments, the guide member protrudes further away froma loading dock face than does the engagement member.

[0012] In some embodiments, the engagement member is higher than theguide member to ensure that the bumper can engage vehicles withrelatively high truck beds and avoid damaging hinged door panels on thevehicle.

[0013] In some embodiments, the bumper includes a tapered surface thathelps urge the vehicle in position.

[0014] In some embodiments, the bumper includes a vehicle sensor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the vehicle sensor is the guide memberitself.

[0016] In some embodiments, the vehicle sensor controls the operation ofan indicator light.

[0017] In some embodiments, the vehicle sensor controls the operation ofa vehicle restraint, inflatable dock seals, a dock leveler, and/or adock door.

[0018] In some embodiments, the guide member and engagement member areintegrally joined to each other.

[0019] In some embodiments, the guide member and engagement member areadjacent, but spaced apart from each other.

[0020] In some embodiments, the guide member and engagement member aremounted to a dock face to avoid creating an obstruction on the drivewayapproach of the loading dock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle backing into a loadingdock that includes a bumper system according to one embodiment.

[0022]FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but with the vehicle properly backedup against a dock seal with a lip of a dock leveler resting atop thetruck bed.

[0023]FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 1.

[0024]FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 2.

[0025]FIG. 5 is a top view similar to FIG. 4, but the vehicle improperlyoffset to one side.

[0026]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bumper according to anotherembodiment.

[0027]FIG. 7 is a top view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, but with the bumperof FIG. 6 guiding the vehicle into position.

[0028]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a bumper according to anotherembodiment.

[0029]FIG. 9 is a top view similar to FIG. 7, but with the bumper ofFIG. 8.

[0030]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a bumper according to anotherembodiment.

[0031]FIG. 11 is a top view similar to FIG. 7, but with the bumper ofFIG. 10.

[0032]FIG. 12 is a top view of a vehicle properly backing into a loadingdock that includes of a bumper according to another embodiment.

[0033]FIG. 13 is a top view similar to FIG. 12, but with the vehicleoffset to one side.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0034] A loading dock 10, of FIG. 1, includes a bumper system 12 thatnot only absorbs vehicle impacts, but also helps guide a vehicle 14 to aproper loading/unloading position. Depending on the particular loadingdock, bumper system 12 may help guide vehicle 14 relative to a door 16or doorway 18 of a building 20, a dock face 22, dock seal 24 (or a dockshelter), a dock leveler 26, and a vehicle restraint 28. To do this,bumper system 12 includes a right hand bumper 30 and a left hand bumper32 that each include an engagement member 34 and 36, respectively, forestablishing a predetermined proper distance between dock face 22 and arear edge 38 of vehicle 14. Bumpers 30 and 32 also include guide members40 and 42, respectively, that help centrally align vehicle 14 to doorway18. Bumpers 30 and 32 generally have an L-shape (e.g., as viewed fromthe top in FIG. 3 with engagement member 36 being a first leg of theL-shape, and guide member 42 being a second leg of the L-shape);however, other shapes are also well within the scope of the invention.

[0035] In operation, vehicle 14 first backs into dock 10, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3. If vehicle 14 includes swinging door panels 44 and 46that cover a rear access opening 48 in vehicle 14, the door panels areswung open before the rear of vehicle 14 engages dock seal 24.Otherwise, dock seal pressing against the rear edges of vehicle 14 wouldinterfere with opening the doors. Door panels 44 and 46 being open whilethe rear of vehicle 14 is up against seal 24 allows access into vehicle14 from within building 20 for loading and unloading cargo.

[0036] As vehicle 14 travels from its position of FIGS. 1 and 3 to thatof FIGS. 2 and 4, surfaces 50 and 52 provide the driver of vehicle 14with a visual reference that assists in keeping vehicle 14 generallycentered within guide members 40 and 42. With surfaces 50 and 52remaining visible, the driver knows vehicle 14 is properly positioned atthe dock when he senses the rear of vehicle 14 bumping up againstengagement member 34 and/or 36.

[0037] Engagement members 34 and 36 define a certain distance 54 orclearance between dock face 22 and the rear edge of vehicle 14, as shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. The clearance allows dock leveler 26 to operate itspivotal ramp 56 and lip 58 to set lip 58 atop the floor of vehicle 14with an appropriate amount of lip purchase 60, as shown in FIG. 4. Theactual operation of dock leveler 26 depends on its particular design, asdock leveler 26 is schematically illustrated to represent all types ofdock levelers known to those skilled in the art.

[0038] If vehicle 14 is excessively off to one side as it backs intoloading dock 10, the rear edge of vehicle 14 may abut either guidemember 40 or 42. In FIG. 5, for example, guide member 42 keeps vehicle14 at such an appreciable distance 62 away from dock face 22 that dockleveler lip 58 is unable to reach the rear edge of vehicle 14. Guidemember 42 extending farther out from dock face 22 than what lip 58 canextend avoids creating a hazardous situation of marginal lip purchase.With the rear edge of vehicle 14 being at either of one of twolocations: up against engagement member 36 (FIG. 4), or up against guidemember 42 (FIG. 5), the amount of lip purchase will either be acceptableor nonexistent.

[0039] This “Go/No-Go” mode of operation not only applies to properpositioning of vehicle 14 with respect to its distance away from dockface 22, but also applies to the vehicle's central alignment (lateralalignment in a horizontal direction parallel to dock face 22). Forinstance, vehicle 14 being between guide members 40 and 42 ensures thatlip 58 can fit between the side edges of the vehicle's rear accessopening 48. If it were not for guide members 40 and 42, vehicle 14 maybe so offset to one side that lip 58 may be unable to extend throughaccess opening 48 or may scrape along an inside edge of the opening.

[0040] The bumper system's alignment feature as it applies to docklevelers also applies to dock seal 24 and vehicle restraint 28 in asimilar manner. Vehicle 14 being up against engagement members 34 and 36helps ensure that vehicle restraint 28 is able reach ICC bar 64 ofvehicle 14, and helps ensure that the rear surface of vehicle 14 isengaging seals 24 without crushing them. And vehicle 14 being betweenguide members 40 and 42 ensures that the rear vertical edges of vehicle14 are properly aligned with the two vertical side pads of dock seal 24.

[0041] To avoid damaging a truck door or its hinges, guide members 40and 42 are preferably at an elevation that is below the lowestanticipated height of a truck door's lower edge. This prevents a truckfrom forcing the hinged edge of its open door against a guide member.However, to ensure that bumpers 30 and 32 are still able to engagerelatively high truck beds, portions of engagement members 34 and 36 arehigher than guide members 40 and 42.

[0042] In a similar embodiment, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, bumpers 66 and68 are provided with guide members 70 and 72 that include taperedsurfaces 74 and 76. The tapered surfaces provide a gradual lead-in thathelps guide and may even urge the rear of vehicle 14 toward its properposition between guide members 70 and 72. Surfaces 74 and 76 may beprovided by an anti-friction member 78, which is schematicallyillustrated to represent members such as an UHMW polyethylene sheet,steel plate, conveyor belt, series of rollers, etc.

[0043] In another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, bumpers 80 and 82each include an engagement member 84 and a guide member 86 that aremounted separately to a dock face 88. Mounting engagement member 84 andguide member 86 separately allows more freedom in the vertical andhorizontal displacement of the two members. Also, guide member 86includes a roller 90 that serves as an anti-friction member that reduceswear between guide member 86 and the rear edge of truck 14.

[0044] In yet another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, bumpers 90and 92 include an engagement member 94, a guide member 96, and a sensor98 responsive to the position of vehicle 14. Sensor 98 can be used todetermine whether vehicle 14 is in the correct position relative to theloading dock. In response to sensing the position of vehicle 14, sensor98 can be used to control a light 100 for providing the truck driver ordockworkers with a visual signal of the vehicle's position. Sensor 98can also be used as part of an overall bumper system wherein sensor 98selectively enables and disables the operation of dock leveler 26, aninflatable dock seal, vehicle restraint 28, and/or a powered doorassociated with doorway 18. Sensor 98 can be disposed within guidemember 96, disposed within engagement member 94, or separately mountedadjacent bumpers 90 and 92. One or more sensors can be used for anygiven bumper system. Sensor 98 is schematically illustrated to representa wide variety of sensors including, but not limited to, a conventionalelectromechanical limit switch, proximity switch, photoelectric eye,pressure switch, etc.

[0045] In the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13, a bumper system 102includes an engagement member 104 and a guide member 106, wherein guidemember 106 comprises a photoelectric eye 108. Photoelectric eye 108allows guide member 106 to help in guiding vehicle 14 into a loadingdock 110 without guide member 106 ever actually having to physicallycome in contact with vehicle 14. As vehicle 14 backs into the dock, avisible or invisible light beam 112 projecting from photoelectric eye108 may be reflected or otherwise interrupted by the presence of vehicle14, as indicated by the left side beam 112 of FIG. 13. If vehicle is offto one side and within a predetermined distance (per the specificationsof the particular electric eye) in front of a photoelectric eye 108,then that photoelectric eye 108 could control a light 114 to turn on asa signal that vehicle 14 is misaligned relative to dock 110. However, ifvehicle 14 is generally centered between guide members 106, as shown inFIG. 12, then beams 112 would be undisturbed and lights 114 would beindividually energized or de-energized accordingly.

[0046] Although the invention is described with reference to a preferredembodiment, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatvarious modifications are well within the scope of the invention.Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by referenceto the claims that follow.

We claim:
 1. A bumper for engaging at least one of a rear surface and aside surface of a vehicle that is adjacent a dock face of a loadingdock, the bumper comprising: an engagement member attachable to theloading dock and being adapted to engage the rear surface of thevehicle; and a guide member adjacent the engagement member and beingadapted to help guide the vehicle toward the engagement member.
 2. Thebumper of claim 1, wherein the guide member protrudes further from thedock face than does the engagement member.
 3. The bumper of claim 1,wherein the engagement member extends higher than the guide member. 4.The bumper of claim 1, wherein the guide member is adapted to engage theside surface of the vehicle.
 5. The bumper of claim 1, wherein the guidemember includes a tapered surface adapted to engage the side surface ofthe vehicle.
 6. The bumper of claim 1, further comprising a sensorresponsive to the position of the vehicle relative to the bumper.
 7. Thebumper of claim 6, wherein the sensor is responsive to the position ofthe vehicle relative to the engagement member.
 8. The bumper of claim 6,wherein the sensor is responsive to the position of the vehicle relativeto the guide member.
 9. The bumper of claim 6, wherein the sensorincludes a photoelectric cell.
 10. The bumper of claim 6, wherein thesensor includes a proximity switch.
 11. The bumper of claim 6, whereinthe sensor includes a limit switch.
 12. The bumper of claim 6, whereinthe sensor includes a pressure switch.
 13. The bumper of claim 6,wherein the sensor is coupled to the guide member.
 14. The bumper ofclaim 6, wherein the sensor is coupled to the engagement member.
 15. Thebumper of claim 6, further comprising a light responsive to the sensor.16. The bumper of claim 15, wherein the light is adjacent the guidemember.
 17. The bumper of claim 1, wherein the guide member includes ananti-friction member.
 18. The bumper of claim 17, wherein theanti-friction member includes a roller.
 19. The bumper of claim 1,wherein the engagement member and the guide member are attachable to thedock face.
 20. A bumper for engaging at least a rear surface of avehicle that is adjacent a dock face of a loading dock, the bumpercomprising: an engagement member adapted to be mounted to the dock faceand having a generally L-shape, wherein a first leg of the L-shape isadapted to engage the rear surface of the vehicle when the vehicle is ata certain proper position relative to the bumper, and wherein a secondleg of the L-shape is adapted to engage the rear surface of the vehiclewhen the vehicle is at a certain improper position relative the bumper.21. The bumper of claimn 20, wherein the second leg protrudes furtherfrom the dock face than does the first leg.
 22. The bumper of claim 20,wherein the first leg extends higher than the second leg.
 23. The bumperof claim 20, further comprising a sensor responsive to the position ofthe vehicle relative to the bumper.
 24. The bumper of claim 23, whereinthe sensor is responsive to the position of the vehicle relative to thefirst leg.
 25. The bumper of claim 23, wherein the sensor is responsiveto the position of the vehicle relative to the second leg.
 26. Thebumper of claim 23, wherein the sensor includes a photoelectric cell.27. The bumper of claim 23, wherein the sensor includes a proximityswitch.
 28. The bumper of claim 23, wherein the sensor includes a limitswitch.
 29. The bumper of claim 23, wherein the sensor includes apressure switch.
 30. The bumper of claim 23, wherein the sensor iscoupled to the second leg.
 31. The bumper of claim 23, wherein thesensor is coupled to the first leg.
 32. The bumper of claim 23, furthercomprising a light responsive to the sensor.
 33. The bumper of claim 32,wherein the light is adjacent the second leg.
 34. A bumper system forengaging a rear surface of a vehicle that is adjacent a dock face of aloading dock, the bumper system comprising: an engagement memberattachable to the loading dock and being adapted to engage the rearsurface of the vehicle when the vehicle is at a predetermined properposition relative to the bumper system; and a guide member adjacent theengagement member and being adapted to engage the rear surface of thevehicle when the vehicle is at a predetermined improper positionrelative to the bumper system, wherein the guide member is adapted toprotrude further away from dock face than what the engagement member isadapted to protrude.
 35. The bumper system of claim 34, furthercomprising a dock leveler that includes a ramp pivotal relative to theloading dock and a lip movable relative to the ramp between an extendedposition to reach the vehicle and a stored position to clear thevehicle, wherein guide member is adapted to protrude further away fromthe dock face than what the lip is adapted to protrude when in theextended position.
 36. The bumper system of claim 34, wherein theengagement member extends higher than the guide member.
 37. The bumpersystem of claim 34, further comprising a sensor responsive to theposition of the vehicle relative to the bumper system.
 38. The bumpersystem of claim 37, wherein the sensor is responsive to the position ofthe vehicle relative to the engagement member.
 39. The bumper system ofclaim 37, wherein the sensor is responsive to the position of thevehicle relative to the guide member.
 40. The bumper system of claim 37,wherein the sensor includes a photoelectric cell.
 41. The bumper systemof claim 37, wherein the sensor includes a proximity switch.
 42. Thebumper system of claim 37, wherein the sensor includes a limit switch.43. The bumper system of claim 37, wherein the sensor includes apressure switch.
 44. The bumper system of claim 37, wherein the sensoris coupled to the guide member.
 45. The bumper system of claim 37,wherein the sensor is coupled to the engagement member.
 46. The bumpersystem of claim 37, further comprising a light responsive to the sensor.47. The bumper system of claim 46, wherein the light is adjacent theguide member.